Log Cabin Rs should be ashamed

Log Cabin Republicans sent out a press release today, claiming Gov. Bush had a strong record in Texas on HIV/AIDS funding. That was the first we had heard of it, and, as you can see from the response below, the first Rep. Glen Maxey had heard of it.

I'm State Representative Glen Maxey of Austin, Texas. I just read Kevin Iver's and the Log Cabin Republican's press release about Bush and HIV. We have a term in Texas for what Mr. Ivers wrote: Bullshit!

LCR can make up what they hope will be George W Bush's AIDS policy in Washington and lie about his record as Governor, but the facts in Texas don't bear him out.

You want to believe that George Bush has miraculously gained an AIDS advocacy position? It's quite hard for me to grasp. He's been Governor in the fourth highest impacted state for HIV/AIDS for seven years and has NEVER said the word "AIDS" in public as best we can tell. He has had absolutely NOTHING to do on leadership toward increased HIV medication funding in Texas.

Our spending has only been federal dollars and the absolute minimum necessary to draw them down from the federal government. Action to get the state match was done totally at the behest of the Legislature. He never asked, supported, or advocated. Just because a Governor signs an appropriation bill of almost $100 billion for the state that includes a measly $25 million of state AIDS medication dollars, doesn't make him responsible for getting the money. The fact is that we have not increased any other AIDS service or education programs in Texas under his watch ...for seven years in a row while case loads still explode.

Bush has never given a speech on AIDS, or for that matter, until running for President, he had never given a speech on health care. Our health department is a disaster under his appointees.

Log Cabin Republicans giving George W Bush credit for the decrease in AIDS deaths in Texas is insulting to people working in the AIDS community in Texas. I find the statement revolting and and unconscionable. They should be ashamed.